Magnetic car retarder



Feb. 12, 1935. N. 'c. L. BROWN 1,990,893

MAGNETI C CAR RETARDER Filed Nov. 25, 1951 FIG. 1.

INVENTOR Ned C.L.Brown,

Hi5 ATToNEY.

Patented Feb. 12, 1935 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE Application ntv'einber 25, 1931, serial No; 571225 10 Claims. (oi. 188 62) I This invention relates in general to car retarders of the track brake type, and has more particular reference to a magnetically operated car retarder. I

It is desirable, in car retarders, to provide as high an intensity of retardation as is possible, and furthermore to provide means for compensating for variations in the spacing of car wheels on their axles. 7 I V I,

More specifically, in order to provide a high intensity of retardation, it is proposed to provide means whereby brake shoes, when applied to passing car wheels, are raised so as to contact with the wheels at as high a point asclearance conditions on the car will permit, and since the usual clearances for locomotives are less than for cars, means is provided for permitting the shoes to be pushed downwardly upon the passing of a locomotive.

0' Furthermore, to care for the variations in spacing of car wheels on their axles, the mag-. netic actuating means for the retarder is floatingly supported.

Further objects, purposes and characteristic features of this invention will appear as the description progresses, reference being made. to the accompanying drawing showing, solely for the purpose of illustration, and inno manner in a limiting sense, one form which the invention can 3 assume.

In'the drawing:- I

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of the invention. I 1 Fig. 2 is a sectional view online '22 ,of Fig. 1, viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 1,'viewed in the direction of the arrows. I II Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line l4 of Fig. 5, viewed in the direction of the arrows. I

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 1, viewed in the direction of the arrows. I I

Referring now to the drawing, there is here shown usual ties 1, carrying track rails 2, one only of which is shown. I Positioned at each side 5' of eachtrack rail, is a brake shoe beam 3, carryin'g abrake shoe 4, attached thereto in any usual manner, as for example, in application Ser. No. 64,892 filed June 30, 1930. I Below .the track rail. 2 at intervals, are pairs of core members 6,'formed'if desired by threaded members l, as shown in Fig. 2, to form supports on which are carried energizing windings 8, which can be energized electrically, in any usual or desired manner. These core members 6 have their pole shoes tilted from the vertical, in an can aptly be termed a break-down connection outward direction, to form an angle with the web of the rail,.,thereby to tilt the brake beams 3, as shown in .Fig. 2, .to raise theIbrake shoes" .4, when the beams 3 are in attracted positi'oma's shown in Fig. 2. The shoe beams 3 are thus 5 releasablyheld' in braking position by the pole shoes 6, subject of course to being broken ffje from the shoes, if suificient force be exerted, without breaking any of the parts and thus, what exists between these parts. I At suitable spaced intervals are compression springs 9, anchored on lugs, for ex'ampld'as .10 and.ll,.'and operating to bias the brake beams II 3, andbrak'e shoes 4, away from the track rail, 15 to move the beams and shoes away from the track railswhen' the windings 8 are die-energized.

. The brake beams are articulated, as at 12,.as in the above referred to application, for example, and are slidable toward,.and awayfrom, the track rail inchairs C, which are bolted to the ties beneath the ends of the separate brake beams, such as wood or non-magnetic I beamtiesl4, by bolts or the like 15. These chairs,.as shown particularly in Figs. 4 and 5, each has ab'ase 15.', and ahead 16 spaced therefrom, to pr? vide slots Y17 and 18... I II J At each end of each brake beam section, ai'e. projecting lugs. 19 and 20, receivedrespectively. in the slots, 17 and 18, and s'lidable'therein as the shoe beam is moved toward, and away from, the track rail. The slot 18 expands outwardly to allow the lug 20, on the shoe beam, when the shoe beam is moved away from the track rail, to move upwardly, and thereby permit the front edged the shoebeam, and its carried brake shoe to move downwardly. I I II The entire magnetic structure, comprisingthe. windings 8, the cores 6 and member 7, is. carried on rollers or the like 21, mounted on trunnions 22, whereby it canmov'e laterally of and, free from, the track rail, on support means 23, preferably n-ma ne e. It will thus be apparent from the above, that, with windings 8 de-energized, springs .9 movethe brakebeams and brake shoes away fromthe track rails 2 .to permit the lugs 19 to'drop tothe bottom of slots 1'7, and the lugs 20 to raise upwardiy into the u pe portion of the inwardly tapered'slots 18. Thus, in de e'ner'gizd position, the brake shoes are moved away from, and downwardlyof, the track rails. I I I I I I n" ene ir ei e. i d s 8 h .1 61? 9 of cores 6, attract the brake beams and pull them 5'6 inwardly so' as to position the brake beams against the pole shoes and thereby raise the brake shoes upwardly, to apply them to passing wheels at as high a point as the clearance diagram of the cars will permit. A passing locomotive with less clearance than the energized retarder normally affords, will simply push the brake shoes and shoe beams downwardly and outwardly, opening the break-down connection between the" shoe beams, until it passes by, whereupon the parts will return to the position shownin Fig. 2, to produce a high degree of retardation due to the shoe being applied to the wheel at a relativelygreat distance in from the wheel periphery;

The floating support for the niagnetic operat-" ing structure, comprising-the rollers 21, permits" the magnetic structure to shift from side to side to care for variations in spacing of'wheels on the axles. For example, should the wheels be more closely spaced than normal this would'result in moving one of the brake beams and brakeshoes away from its usual position, when in retarding position, to thereby leave a considerable air gap between the lower part of 'one of its brake beams and its'respective magnetic pole shoe, to thereby weaken the effect of' the magnetic operating means. The other brake beam for this wheel,

under such conditions, might be against its respective pole piece, and still not have its brake shoe in tight cont ct with the car wheel. The floating] supportsfor the magnetic structures 7 permit them to readily shift from side to side and center them under the car wheels, regardless of the spacing of the car wheels on the axles, within such limits as encountered in practice.

It is of course understood, that the number, per length of retarder, of magnetic elements, such as shown in Fig. 2, can be varied in accordance with requirements; and the same is true of the separating springs 9, the invention not being limited in any manner whatsoever, by the number and distribution and proportions of the various parts involved,

I appended claims.

Furthermore, the above rather specific description of one formof the present invention is given solely by way of illustration, and is not intended, in any manner whatsoever, in a limiting sense. Obviously, the inventioncan assume many different physicalforms, and is susceptible of nu-,-

; wheel spacing on a car axle.

2. In acar retarder of the track brake type, in

combination, a brake beam, a brake shoe on the brake beam, means for guidin'gthe beam toward and away from a track rail, electro-magnetic means for moving the beam toward the'rail, elastic meansbiasing the beam away from the rail, and roller means for movablyv supporting the. magnetic means whereby to 7 accommodate for variation in'the spacing of wheels onacar axle.

3} In :a car lretarder of the track brake type,

r in combination, a brake. beam, a, brake shoe on the brake beam, means for guiding the beam towardand away from a track-rail, electro-magnetic means for moving the beam toward the rail, means for movably supporting the magnetic means, whereby to accommodate for variation in wheel spacing on a. car axle, and means whereby the magnetic means raises the beam when moving it toward the rail.

4. In a. car retarder of the track brake type, inv combination, a brake beam, a brake shoe on the brake beam, means forguidingthe beam toward and away from a track rail, electro-magnetic means for moving the beam toward the rail,

5. In a car retarder of the trackbrake type,

in combination, a brake beam carrying a brake shoe,.means for guiding the v beam toward and away from a track rail, electro-magnetic means for moving the beam toward thev rail, and a pole shoe'in the magnetic means so positioned as to cause the beam to, raise as it is moved toward the rail. Q

6; In a car retarderof the track brake type, in combination, a' brake beam carrying. a brake shoe, means for guiding the beam toward and away from a track rail, electro-magnetic means for movingthe beam toward the rail; and a pole shoe in the magnetic means positioned out of parallelism with the rail and cooperating with a portion of the beamso as to raise the beam as it e is moved toward the rail. r

7. In a car retarder of the track brake type, in combination, a brake beam carrying a brake shoe, a slotted chair means for guiding the beam toward and away from a track rail, lug means on the beam receivable inthe slot of the chair, electro-magnetic means for moving the beam toward th'erail, and a pole shoe in the magnetic means positioned so as to cause the beam'to raise as it is moved toward the rail. 7

8. In a car retarder of the track brake type, in combination, a brake beam, a brake shoe on the brake, beam, .means for guiding the beam'toward and away from a track rail, operating means for moving the beam toward the rail, and means whereby the operating means raises the beam, on a break-down connection, when moving it toward the rail. I

9. In a car retarder of the track brake type, in combination, a brake beam, a brake shoe on the brake beam, means for guiding the beam toward and, away from 'a track rail, operating means for moving the beam. toward the rail, means for movably supporting the operating means wherebyto accommodate for variation in wheel spacing. on a car axle, and means whereby the operating means releasably raises the beam when moving it'toward the rail whereby to accommodate for variations in clearances of passing vehicles. I 7

10. In acar retarder of the track brake type, in combination a brake .beam carrying a brake shoe, a slotted chair means for guiding the beam toward and away from a track rail, lugmeans on the beam receivable in the slot of the chair, operating means separate from,'and bodily movable relatively to, the chair, for moving the beam toward the rail,and causing the beam to raise as'it is moved toward the rail.

NED c L. BRO N, 

